NJEA action for teachers

http://m.njea.org/action-S-2810

Hope behind the rock

**Roll the stone away, there's hope behind the rock! **
   They rolled the stone away from where hope had been buried, the Lord spoke  and Lazarus came forth! I don't know what you've got buried, that's between you and God, but if you've buried your hopes, your dreams, your joy, your future...roll the stone away, there's hope behind the rock. 
    After the crucifixion and burial of Christ, people mourned and felt a great loss.  Then, the angel rolled the stone away and people saw burial clothing neatly folded.  It was a sign that Christ wasn't finished and would be returning.  There was joy behind that rock!  Don't allow yourself to fall into despair over the election process.  Roll despair away. There's hope behind the ROCK, there's joy behind the ROCK, there's peace behind the ROCK.
Amen to the ROCK OF AGES. Stand behind Christ he's the rock of our salvation.  There's hope behind the roc💒k!

What should I tell my students?

I teach at a county college in New Jersey. Many of the professors have noticed that in some cases 1/3 of our students are missing from class since Nov. 8. Many of our Muslim students are no longer proudly wearing their covering. Several have come up to me to tell me that their parents have called them from their home country to tell them to come home. (This is a very international area). It's breaking my heart. I feel like crying. My friends and my family members are in suspended disbelief. I get phone calls with my friends and family members just sobbing. We understand that our 2 party system means that sometimes we have one political party or the other in office. That's life in America. That's not why the great feeling of dismay. The fact that a person has lied, used abusive language, bullied and slandered their way into the office of the president is shocking and devastating. Is this the decline of our society? how did this happen? So many of my little college students are so afraid. On Wednesday I walked into class with what was, I admit, a somber feeling, but the room was heavy and quiet. No one in my highly communicative classroom talked. Some of their eyes were filled with tears. One person commented, why do people tell us that certain behavior is unacceptable? He does it and now he's president.

I don't know what to tell them except to stay in faith. God is real and He sees. Throughout history there has been a struggle between right and wrong, love and hate, good and evil. Knowing God doesn't mean we won't have trouble, but knowing God does mean that help is on the way. In the meantime, my suggestion for my students is to listen to their family members and listen to God.

I don't want to be like the 911 operators who were telling people to remain in the twin towers and wait for help on that terrible day. The adherence to those words aided in the increase of the death toll.

Healing

The word of God tells us that He heals. Isaiah " By His stripes we are healed".. " Matthew 8:17 "He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases."  Matthew 8:16 "that evening many demon possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he HEALED ALL THE SICK." We can experience miraculous healing today.  Jesus is real and he is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.   Maybe we take healing for granted.  Maybe we give medicine and doctors all the credit,  but there are times when healing from God looms large.  He heals against all odds.  No one can take credit for His grace and mercy. He makes it clear that His divine healing is beyond that of the ability of man. Examples: My brother was given a death sentence by several doctors because of multiple blood clots, but through prayer, God stood up and said,"no".  My husband was given up as hopeless,  but God said,"I AM the God of hope."  My aunt was given a time limit for life, but God put up His hand.  My friends have an uncle who was given a death sentence by professionals,  but God heard the prayers of His children.   We serve a mighty God.  We serve a God of miracles.  I'm sure that if you think about it, miracles have occurred in your life, too.  Don't give God's praise and glory away. Give it all to Him.  Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals .

God's got you

"The Lord is our shepherd we shall not want. "
This is a promise to us that the Lord our God will supply our needs.  He will protect us.  He will guide us. Our lives have nothing to do with what goes on around us. We have all lived through many things and even when we've seen suffering, we haven't suffered because "the Lord is our shepherd"
*kneel before almighty God in humility knowing that He loves you. Give him your heart, rise up to praise Him in gratitude because He never leaves you alone. Go forth and obey Him in faith. You have the power to change this world and redirect society with kind action, generosity gentle words and faith.  Go forward knowing that things can happen around you, but God's got you. Stay in faith.

Vote for the children

As a teacher, I know that we work hard to build character,social skills and morality in our students. We ask them to be respectful and polite. We teach them to recognize bullying and how to handle bullying. We teach them to be team players and how to help one another. 
It's both a joy and an honor to support parents as we build a new world together. We are all a part of their village. It just wouldn't be acceptable for us to stand in front of children and use unacceptable language or to be bullies. We don't spend any time looking for the worst in people and exploiting it, exaggerating situations, or outright lying on others. That's not the behavior that we want our students to observe or to display. That's not how a peaceful, livable society is built. I'm embarrassed about this political season. We aren't cheerleaders who cheer for any person just because we have always been on one side or the other. It's not so much about a political party as it is about the content of the character and the truth in the heart of a person who is looking to represent us all. What are our students,our children and our grandchildren learning?

http://m.njea.org/news/2016-10-20/breaking-sweeney-pulls-bad-health-insurance-bill

It's not about party, but it's about human rights

For the women whose hands and heads i have held and cradled and for those other women whose have done the same, no man has the right to touch you without your consent, or to continue touching you when you say "stop".
When a man sees a delicious piece of chicken parmigiano on a plate with sauce steaming and cheese melting does he believe that because it looks good and he wants it, he has the right to grab what's not his from the plate that's not his?  Neither does he have the right to brag about, or commit the criminal offense of sexual attack on a woman.  It is a crime.
A man bragging about Walking  into a room full of teenage girls undressing infuriates me. Being the owner of a pageant doesn't give anyone that right.  I'm quite sure their fathers, brothers, uncles, grandparents, mothers and sisters were infuriated, too.  It's disgusting.  No one who leaves a woman feeling helpless and alone by calling her a liar when she summons the courage to complain about being inappropriately touched, deserves a leadership position.  No one who commits the crime of touching a person without their permission deserves to be a leader in this country. NO ONE who brags about humiliating someone's daughter, wife, or mother by unwanted sexual contact should be president of the United States of America. 
I just had to say it on behalf of all the women who have been victims.  It's not funny.  It's not fair.  It's not acceptable. Fathers hold your daughters close.